The most dangerous room in the house for kids revealed (hint: it's not the Kitchen)
A study has revealed the one room where the most incidents occur
We don't usually think of our homes as dangerous places compared to the busy and unpredictable world outside. But accidents can happen in any room, and now it seems that one room, in particular, is the number one place for incidents to occur.
Related: Mum takes son’s bedroom decor to new heights with creative mountain wall mural
A new report by The Compensation Experts has revealed that the living room is the most dangerous place in the home for kids. This was based on a survey of 1,000 parents in the UK, with a total of 43% of parents admitting that their child has injured themselves in this room. Why is this, and what living room ideas can we use to make them safer?
The most dangerous room in the house
The living room was in fact closely followed by the garden, with 37% of parents saying kids had had an accident outside the home, and the bedroom was at 32%. Could it simply be that the living room is the most multi-functional room in the home and therefore the place children spend the most time playing? The place where the least accidents occur was the garage, presumably because young children don't tend to spend much time in there unsupervised.
From looking at NHS data, The Compensation Experts found that 67,135 children were admitted to hospital last year due to home-related injuries. The survey also questioned UK parents on the safety features they have and haven’t installed in their homes to help reduce accidents.
34% of parents in the survey had never installed bed or crib barriers. Yet just under a quarter of parents said their child had had an accident from falling from a bed or crib in their children's rooms.
41% of UK parents had never installed cupboard safety locks - however, it is definitely a measure some parents should consider since 13% of UK parents stated that their children had accidentally consumed detergent pods. Cupboard locks are inexpensive plastic locks that prevent children from opening cupboards, and from trapping their fingers.
Get the Ideal Home Newsletter
Sign up to our newsletter for style and decor inspiration, house makeovers, project advice and more.
If you're looking for ways to keep your home safe for your kids here are a few other safety measures you can implement to help prevent accidents.
Safety measures in the homes
Hob safeguard
Place childproof covers on oven hobs and stoves to prevent nasty burns.
Electric plug sockets guard
Keep all electrical cables out of reach and insert plastic socket covers to prevent your child from touching electrical outlets.
Rubber corner guard
Childproof all sharp corner edges with rubber corner guards to prevent head bumps and injuries to the eye from your best dining table.
Baby Gate
A baby gate is an efficient way to stop children from getting into a room on their own. A baby gate will allow you to rest easy, knowing that your child is safe.
Related: See how this drab kitchen was given a brilliant blue makeover for just £300
From hot hobs to sharp counter edges, sockets, and loose wires, our homes are filled with potential dangers for children.
Millie Hurst was Senior Content Editor at Ideal Home from 2020-2022, and is now Section Editor at Homes & Gardens. Before stepping into the world of interiors, she worked as a Senior SEO Editor for News UK in both London and New York. You can usually find her looking up trending terms and finding real-life budget makeovers our readers love. Millie came up with the website's daily dupes article which gives readers ways to curate a stylish home for less.
-
Philips' new air fryer uses steam to revolutionise cooking and cleaning – here's what happened when I tried it at home
This dual-basket steam air fryer does the job, but doesn’t knock it out of the park
By Ellen Manning
-
Plywood kitchens are the secret to a Scandi-inspired cooking space
5 ways to embrace the simple kitchen trend in 2025
By Holly Cockburn
-
Green kitchenware will be the ‘it’ trend for dining tables in 2025 - here’s how you can get the look
It can even make your next culinary feast look more enticing
By Kezia Reynolds